‘SNL’ Mocks Ted Cruz’s Attack on Big Bird in ‘Sesame Street’ Cold Open

Ted Cruz became a punching bag on social media last week after he criticized Big Bird (yes, the iconic Sesame Street character) for getting the COVID-19 vaccine, labeling the act “Government propaganda.”

Bird Bird, or at least the person who runs the fictional character’s account, took to Twitter last weekend to announce that he’d gotten the shot, which is now available for American children between the ages of 5 and 11.

“I got the COVID-19 vaccine today!” Big Bird wrote on his official Twitter account. “My wing is feeling a little sore, but it’ll give my body an extra protective boost that keeps me and others healthy.”

Within hours, Cruz responded to the tweet, writing, “Government propaganda…for your 5 year old!”

Saturday Night Live made sure to mock Cruz’s attack on Big Bird in this weekend’s cold open, bringing back cast member Aidy Bryant as Cruz, who welcomed everyone to the show by introducing the Texas senator as the “last one invited to Thanksgiving.”

Bryant’s Cruz continued, “You know, for 50 years, I stood by as ‘Sesame Street’ taught our children dangerous ideas like numbers and kindness. But when Big Bird told children to get vaccinated against a deadly disease, I said, ‘Enough,’ and I created my own ‘Sesame Street’ called ‘Cruz Street.’ It’s a gated community where kids are safe from the woke government.”

From there, Bryant’s Cruz addressed the tweets, explaining, “As you know, I was mocked for attacking Big Bird on Twitter, simply because I am a human senator and he is an eight-foot-tall fictional bird. But let’s see what happened to Big Bird after he got the vaccine.”

Big Bird, played by cast member Kyle Mooney, then arrived onstage, telling Cruz, “Oh man. I don’t feel too good.”

“So this is what happened to you a week after you got the vaccine?” Cruz asked.

“It sure is,” Big Bird told him. “My feathers fell out. My nuts got huge. And my joints don’t work. It’s real bad man.”

Cruz responded, “Don’t worry. I read online that you can take a bath in Borax, and that will cleanse you of any nanotechnology.”

Check out SNL’s full “Ted Cruz Street” cold open up top.